Saturday, April 30, 2011

Friday, April 29, 2011

Hi everyone! I've got my May fabric packets ready to go -- they should go out tomorrow morning. I'm referring you to Amy's (badskirt) recent tutorial for the + and x block inspired by a quilt by Japanese quilter Setsuko Inagawa. I've already cut the block pieces you receive to size, so please refer to Amy's tutorial for piecing instructions.

My sample block is above.

To make the block, you will receive:

4 -- 3 1/2" squares for the corners that form the x

8 -- 2" squares of background for the corners that form the x

4 -- 2" squares for the edges of the +

2 -- 2" squares and 1 -- 2" x 5" fabric for the +

This will be a very scrappy quilt in the end, so I'm hoping the fabrics I've sent will work out. It's hard to imagine the "big picture" when you're trying to coordinate but not over-coordinate individual blocks. :-)

The trickiest construction part is matching up the angled seams of the corner blocks with the straight seams that form the +. Give a holler if you'd like a little photo help with that before you begin.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Everyone has had such fun ideas for their blocks! I enjoyed making Andie's block. I hope you don't mind that I didn't steam or starch it -- it could be a little more crisp -- but I didn't want to risk singe-ing that beautiful linen. I'll get it into the mail to you shortly, Andie! I may wait and send it with my May block-makings. Speaking of which, I'd better make some decisions and get to cutting! Happy stitching, everyone!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

.... Michele, and I am a second-year member of the One Block Over Quilt Bee. I haven't really been AWOL, I've just been working very hard mostly away from home and filling a lot of orders in the studio. I tend to get all quiet and worried when I haven't been able to keep up with sewing projects that have deadlines and I don't allow myself to even look at the blog unless I'm up to date, so I have no idea what's been going on here since, let's say, Victoria listed her block tutorial. .

.However, the schedule is turning around. I pulled open Michelle's Parisville envelope and strung the night away while watching TV last night. Sadly, though, even though I pieced conservatively, I ran out of long enough strips of fabric to finish the third and fourth panels. To make things easy for Michelle, I just ordered a fat quarter set which hopefully will arrive by the end of the week. Ooohhh, lucky, lucky! I just noticed she closed for the week; I must have just made the cutoff. There are always good prices at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics.

Victoria's package for the Christmas Flower block is waiting next in line on the cutting table ... Andie, your's it right behind hers.

I'm writing today to enlist your support (aka - votes) for my designs in the Accuquilt Barn Quilt contest. I read the rules carefully when the contest entered, and it didn't say anything about only one entry per person, so I submitted 2 designs, both of which are included in the top 100 finalists! I chose the designs I did based on their relative simplicity, with the thought that you should be able to get the full effect of the design from several hundred feet away. The "ooh!" factors comes in with the rainbow colors.

I'm extremely humbled to be included as a finalist (and excited - this is pretty cool). Anyway, I'm hoping you'll be kind enough to give me a "thumbs up" at the voting site - just search for "Michelle" on the page, and that's me!

I would love to win for a couple of reasons - I grew up in rural Nebraska, and I would love to see barn quilts covering the places I loved as a kid. And, if you aren't entirely aware, the Accuquilt headquarters are located in Fremont, NE (which I've been to and through many a time), and I would love a trip to visit the headquarters! Seriously, how many people do you know that WANT to go to Nebraska?? Well, I will always think of it as home, even though Los Angeles is now my home - I'm always game for a trip back (and I would be able to see my mama in the process, and maybe the in-laws).

Friday, April 8, 2011

Okay. Please allow me to be the sacrificial lamb; or the guinea pig; or the dimwitted quilter who managed to do everything wrong while making Andie's Pieced Liberated (Ha! Not for me!) Block. I think this was so challenging because I am extremely frugal, by upbringing - I am German, raised in Ohio, Andie! When I saw my pile of leavings growing, I knew this wasn't the block for me. However, I do appreciate the chance to try something new.

Let me give a heads-up. You don't need to piece 9 - 4-1/2" X 4-1/2" blocks, as I did. Andie's tutorial has you make one 4-1/2" X 4-1/2" pieced block for the quilt center. So far, so good.

Then the tutorial photo shows 8 more blocks for star points. If I'd read further, I would have realized that only 4 blocks (for a total of 5 - 41/2" X 4-1/2" blocks) are needed to make 8 star points for one block.

Because I was trying to make four extra, unneeded blocks, I found myself raiding my fabric scraps for bits more. So Andie, you may see a few new fabrics added to your block. However, the bonus is that I'm mailing to you these extra cut star points!

And yes, that white linen fabric is very wonky and a bit difficult to handle. I've never worked with linen in a quilt - only for counted cross-stitch.

Aren't you all grateful for someone like me who will work out the kinks for you ahead of time? Linda

Monday, April 4, 2011

Although everyone's blocks got sent in (or hand delivered) at the end of their respective months, other projects (like getting ready for our local guild show, yippeeee!) kept me distracted from posting. Argh! But finally, here's sharing with the rest of you!

First, Michelle's...

These crazy ladies with their unbelievable hairstyles made me laugh. I fell in love with some of the other fabrics though and really like how the block turned out.

I used one of my decorative stitches in the applique, too! (Thanks for the suggestion, Michelle!)

And Victoria's....

I agree with some of the rest of you. First time paper piecing was tricky. It took a round or two to really figure out the tricks. Hope V doesn't mind that one of the petals includes a fair amount of WHITE. Thought since it was Jennifer Paganelli fabric (one of her favorite's), maybe she'd forgive.

Inspired by my newfound paper piecing skills, I decided to try it on a bigger scale with a round robin at the Metro Mod guild. Bigger was a whole new challenge, but I like how it turned out!

(The body of the quilt -- with all the vertical rectangles -- was done by another quilter in the group before it came to me. I added the top part.) Thanks V for another skill added to the quilting repertoire!

Excited to work on those new star blocks! Checking the mail with anticipation. :)